The Cure For Stormy Nights
by Capricornus152
Summary: After 'Chosen'. Thank God for the Body Shop. Buffy's POV


The Cure For Stormy Nights

Summary: (Buffy's POV and takes place post-Chosen). The blonde Slayer thinks about her Xander-shaped friend and how much she's come to love him.

Couples: XanderBuffy.

7-7-7

I step out of the power shower and thank God that the Four Seasons in the Big Apple has superb facilities. The Peach and Orange Hair Conditioner has gotten rid of all the grime from that attack in the sewers, I hope. I smile when I see that Xander - when I complained to the manager yesterday about the towels and in particular their size - went out today and bought two four packs of XXXXL towels in cornflower blue and peach. I wrap myself in one of the blue - it goes with my hair - and put the complimentary woolen towelling robe on. Now I can barely move, engulfed and surrounded by softness and I think it's almost a religious experience after having catching the results of a Grox'lar demon plus dynamite in front of her, the results of which are swirling down the plughole.

"Buff? You ready?" Xander calls from the bedroom and I call back, "Nearly, don't start without me."

I walk into the room. My big toe catches a corner of the stupid rug I've always hated in this hotel and I half-stumble before recovering before I hit the ground. With my dignity and pride bruised and deflated, I flop down on the bed next to him. I smile at his choice of food for tonight's movie marathon.

Outside the glass sliding door that leads onto the small balcony, I can see the storm approaching fast. I've always hated storms.

"Xand? Shut the curtains, please?" I ask him, putting on the puppy dog pout which I know will make him do anything. He gets up from his comfortable position and draws the curtains across.

The room is a decent size but the bed is huge. Even Xander who stands a good six inches taller than me lays comfortably in the bed, his toes not touching the bottom. The Watchers Council paid for the room was a permenant one with their accounts. It's truly mine and Xand's. It has posters of bands we like and a stack of DVDs and CDs are on the desk along with numerous photos of Dawn with Andrew and Giles in London and Faith and Robin in Paris and Willow and Kennedy in South America. There are relics from wherever we've been; postcards from a dozen states, a framed photo of the two of us standing in front of St. Peter's Basilica, a soft blanket from India enwoven with beautiful fabric desgins of ruby dragons, golden suns, white buds of fresh jasmine with emerald vines, azure porpoises and shimmering angelic figures with snowy wings and golden halos. A Buddha from Amanda and Chao-Ahn and an alabaster Anubis from Vi and Rona in Egypt.

I slide in under the thick quilt and the swansdown pillows are fluffed and puffed and are propped against my back. Xander sits down next to me and I kiss him on the cheek, feeling the teasing feel of small five o clock shadow.

The pizza at our feet is still hot and I drag it towards us. I grin at him. He's arranged the toppings into a smiley face with pepperoni eyes, two pieces of mushroom that make a convincing nose and chunky strips of yellow pineapple that curve upwards. I rest my head into the crook of his shoulder and we watch the movie with occasional munches, leaving the lukewarm crumbs in the box when the infamous shower scene comes on.

I didn't realise how much I depended on Xand until the 'Nevada Incident'. Xand, Amanda, Rona and I had been searching down a shape-shifting demon that was feeding on people in Las Vegas. It only picked the lucky ones.

The four of us had spliten up in the Las Vegas Casino to find it and...he took a dagger to the stomach for me.

They just managed to save him and then I realised how much I needed him. The only man who had never left me in my life. My best friend, my emotional rock.

The light from the TV stirs me from my daydream as a talkative redhead gets impaled through the head with a broken pipe by a white clad serial killer and I look over at Xand. He's been watching me protectively and he leans over and kisses me on the forehead tenderly.

Xander is my cure and antidote. My heart and my rock. My hero.

_Fin_


End file.
